Contact:
Brendan Scanlon
Northwest & North Slope Area Management Biologist
Phone: 907-459-7268

The Division of Sport Fish is increasing the bag and possession limit for coho salmon in the Unalakleet River and its tributaries to 10 fish, from 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, August 12 through 11:59 p.m. Thursday, October 15. The bag and possession limit for salmon, other than king salmon, is 10 fish, of which only four fish in combination may be chum and sockeye salmon. This bag and possession limit for salmon, other than king salmon, includes the 10 fish limit for coho salmon.

The cumulative count of coho salmon at the counting tower on the North River, a tributary of the Unalakleet River, is well above the recent 5-year average. Projections of escapement to the North River based on 2,830 coho salmon counted through August 10 range between 4,300–8,300 coho salmon. This range of projected escapements will be sufficient to exceed the North River aerial survey-based sustainable escapement goal (SEG) range of 550–1,100 coho salmon In addition, cumulative escapement counts of coho salmon at the Unalakleet River floating weir are almost twice the previous high for this date since the project began operation in 2010. As of August 10th, 27,128 coho salmon had passed the weir. This is well above the average of 11,048 coho salmon by this date. Due to the high escapement of coho salmon in the Unalakleet River drainage and projections to exceed the upper bound of the SEG at the North River tower, an increase in the bag and possession limit for coho salmon from 4 to 10 fish is warranted. It is anticipated that the additional harvest associated with the increased bag limit will not reduce the escapement below the SEG.